Free Apex Cypher (Prequel to The Techxorcist series) by Colin F. Barnes Page A

Jericho has a small distillery. He used it to extract the oil, but he mixed it with something else and managed to get a fuel. It’s the last I could find. I don’t know how to make it. I don’t know how far it’ll get you, but if you take it easy it should at least get you to Shelley’s. Personally, I’d suggest you just fucking kill the bitch and keep on ridin’.”
    “Don’t worry, Hol, we’ve got it sorted,” Petal said.
    A gunshot fired overhead, and took out a chunk of concrete from the apartment building.
    “Fuck. Sniper,” Holly said, running for cover. “Get the hell out of here.”
    Petal gunned the throttle as soon as Gabe swung his leg over the seat. She missed the clutch and the bike lurched, making Gabe drop the bag, but it was too late. Holly was running for cover while pointing to them a route through the soy crops and back out into the desolate lands.
    “Thanks for everything!” Gabe shouted back as a metallic screech from another shot split the air, and a piece of siding came away from the station. Petal gunned the engine, a thick black cloud of smoke erupted out of the exhaust pipe as she steered them through the rubble of the crops. Within a minute they were out of range, and heading back to Shelley’s.
    “You okay back there?” Petal sent across their private network, the message popping up in Gabe’s internal display.
    “Yeah, girl, all good, just keep ya eyes on the road.”
    “What road?”
    “Fair point. Crap! Watch out for that—”
    Petal swerved the bike violently, just missing a fissure in the ground. She whooped with delight as Gabe gripped onto her to prevent himself from sliding off.
    She was a worse rider than he was. He just hoped they’d get back to Shelley’s in one piece. He didn’t want to continue the journey on the bike. Not when there was a fully restored Ranger truck ready to go.

    ***

    The chain-linked fence appeared on the horizon. Its shape wobbled and wavered with the morning heat like some kind of mirage. After the hour of torturous riding, Gabe couldn’t wait to arrive, regardless of what was waiting for him. His ass was numb, and his spine felt like he’d been fighting for a week. The thought of easing into the comfy seat of the Ranger was the only thing keeping him going.
    Shelley must have heard them coming, or seen them, for she was waiting just inside the fence, watching them get closer. The engine laboured badly by the time they approached the great aircraft cemetery, the scrapyard of stillborn fighter jets and passenger planes. The smoke trail behind them was enough to be seen for dozens of kilometres, he was sure.
    They pulled up to the entrance. Petal shut the engine off, and, though fun at first, Gabe was thankful to put an end to the din. It felt like his skull had trapped the rumble inside his brain. He wondered if he’d ever experience peace and quiet again.
    Before they even got off the bike, Shelley approached, shotgun in hand, called out, “You get it, then? I see you’re alive and mostly intact, so I’m guessing Jericho has met a sticky end—unless you didn’t do the job.”
    Stepping off the bike, Gabe waited for the blood to reach his muscles so he could walk straight. “Yeah, we got the info. Ya don’t need to worry about that.”
    “Is it in that?” Shelley pointed the barrel of her shotgun towards Old Grey.
    “Nah,” Gabe said. “That’s just a bit of junk I took for another job in another place. I got the info safe. How’d ya wanna do this, then? I don’t want no fucking about. A deal’s a deal as far as I’m concerned.”
    “Follow me.” Shelley turned her back, headed back towards her converted passenger plane, hobbling as she went. She struggled up the steps, disappeared inside the dark opening of the fuselage.
    Gabe stopped just outside. Petal was far behind him. He put out an arm to indicate for her to stop and wait. He felt exposed standing out there in the light. The clattering of metal rang out from